Electric relay



Dec. 5, 1950 A. c. KIRCHER 2,532,524

ELECTRIC RELAY Filed July 8, 194a IN VEN TOR.

ATTORN YS ing a Y with the neck 25.

Patented Dec. 5, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC RELAY August 0. Kircher,Queens Village, N 11, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Allied Control Com--. pany, Inc., a corporation of New York Application July 8, 1946, Serial No. 681,821

' This invention relates to electric relays and more especially to contact, armature structure.

Heretofore relays in general and particularly those designed for heavy duty have been equipped with some form of spring. for returning the armature to its de-energized or open position.

An object of this invention is a contact arm structure particularly adapted to heavy duty relays, but applicable also to other types of electric relays in which the need for a separate armature return spring is eliminated.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying draw-- ings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a relay embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Filg. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 1;

vFig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a detail, and

Fig. 6 is an edge view of Fig. 5.

An L-shaped magnetic metal frame ID has a short leg II and a long leg l2 and the leg I! is provided with apertured extensions |3 for atachment purposes. A coil l4 and a core centrally thereof are supported by the leg while the leg l2 pivotally supports an armature l6 overlying the end of the core l5 and having an extension |5a substantially parallel to the leg l2. An insulating block composed of three superposed units I 1, l8 and I9 is attached to the leg I2 by bolts 2!] passing through plates 200., the lower unit I! being suitably cut away to provide a passageway 2% through which the armature extension Ea projects and the unit l8 being composed of two spaced sections.

A thin sheet metal contact supporting plate 2| is clamped between the units I1 and I8 while a. pair of rigid contact arms 22 are clamped between the units !8 and IS. The plate 2| consists essentially of a head 23 of the same configuration as the unit I! and slit as at 24 to form a neck 25 terminating in two arms 26 form- That portion of the head 23 in alinement with the neck 25 is offset slightly from the remainder as shown in Fig. 6. A tongue 27 located between the arms 25 has its free end slightly offset downwardly from the plane of the arms 25. A contact bar 28 is attached to the ends of the arms 25 and supports a pair of contacts 29. Each contact arm 22 supports a contact 32 for engagement by a contact 29 and each contact arm is provided with a terminal 3|.

The armature extension l6a is provided with a button 32 of insulating material for engagement with the tongue 21 of the plate 2|. The plate 2| is biased to separate the contacts 29 8 Claims. (Cl. 2Ql)-.87)

from the contacts 39 and by engagement of the tongue 2? with the button 32- the plate, 2| also biases the armature 16 into its open position.

Energization ofthe coil M causes attraction or the armature it toward the core I5 with con-.- seeuent elevation of the button 32 to engage the contacts 29 with the contacts, 30 so. that the bar 23 constitutes a bridge between the contact arms 22. Upon de-energization of the coil M, the bias of the plate 2| causes separation of the contacts and return of the armature to its open position.

I claim:

1. A'relay comprising a frame, an armature pivoted on said frame and having an extension, a block of insulating material fixed with respect to said frame, a resilient sheet metal plate supported by said insulating block in overlying relation to said armature extension, said plate having a neck and arms forming a Y-shaped section and a tongue-like extension from the apex of said arms with a free end projecting between said arms, said extensions being juxtaposed for mutual engagement whereby said armature extension may engage said tongue-like extension to bend said plate.

2. A relay comprising a frame, an armature pivoted on said frame and having an extension, a block of insulating material supported by said frame, a resilient sheet metal plate supported by said insulating block in overlying relation to said armature extension, said plate having a neck and arms forming a Y-shaped section and a tonguelike extension from the apex of said arms with a free end projecting between said arms, said tongue-like extension being offset angularly from the plane of said arms, and a button of insulating material supported by one extension for engagement with the other extension.

3. A relay comprising a frame, an armature pivoted on said frame and having an extension, a block of insulating material supported by said frame and having a passageway through which said armature extension projects, a resilient sheet metal plate supported by said insulating block in overlying relation to said armature extension, said plate having a neck and arms forming a Y-shaped section and a tongue-like extension from the apex of said arm with a free end projecting between said arms, and a button of insulating materials supported by one extension for engagement with the other extension.

4. A relay comprising a frame, an armature pivoted on said frame and having an extension, a block of insulating material supported by said frame and having a passageway through which said armature extension projects, a resilient sheet metal plate supported by said insulating block in overlying relation to said armature extension, said plate having a neck and arms forming a Y-shaped section and a tongue-like extension *3! v .9 from the apex of said arms with a. free end projecting between the said arms, said tongue-like extension being oifset angularly from the plane of said arms, and a button of said insulating material supported by one extension for engagement with the other extension.

5. A relay according to claim 1 characterized by a bar supported by said Y arms, a pair of contacts mounted on said bar, and a pair of rigid contact arms supported by said block for cooperation with said contacts.

6. A relay according to claim;3 characterized by a bar supported by said Y arms, a pair of contacts mounted on said bar, and a pair of rigid contact arms;,supported by said block for co-- operation with said contacts.

7. A relay ,as in claim 1 includin contact means on said Y arms, rigid contact means supported by said block for cooperation with said first contact means, said sheet metal plate engaging said armature so as to bias said armature extension towards said frame.

8. A relay as in claim 3, including contact means on said Y arms, rigid contact means supported by said block for cooperation with said first contact means, said sheet metal plate engaging said armature so as to bias said armature extension towards said frame.

AUGUST C. KIRCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

